“We should have gone to Mercury Wild,” Mikaela said as we sat in the club, sipping on our drinks.

I was pretty happy with my margarita so I had no idea what her problem was. “Why? What’s wrong with this place?”

“The music sucks,” Mikaela explained. “I want to dance with a stranger and get laid.”

Karen rolled her eyes and said, “You’re just saying that because you’re still not getting over Jordan.”

Mikaela looked hurt but surprisingly she nodded in agreement and said, “Yeah, I have to admit that much. He was sweet, he was responsible, he was funny and I have to say he was really good in the sack. I’d pay money just to get another round with that cock of his.”

“Oh my fucking God,” I commented as I rolled my eyes.

“Shut up,” Mikaela said to me but with a big smile. “You’re just reacting that way because you’ve never slept with a guy. How in the world are you still a virgin? Well, besides being an uptight bitch.”

Karen looked at me with such intensity and I realized I never really gave an explanation.

My jaw dropped and I scowled at Mikaela. “I am not an uptight bitch.”

“You are,” Karen pointed out and took a sip of her drink. “We’ve tried hooking you up a billion times and they all fucking crash and burn because you expect your boyfriends to not have sex with you. So what’s the deal? We all know you ain’t a saint. You’re not a nun. You are a single girl in a lame-ass club right now.”

We all laughed and I figured I should at least give them some context.

“I’m just usually too busy,” I stated. “My mom died when I was in middle school and it’s been really hard on me and my dad. He never lets it show but I can tell that he’s having a hard time. So you know, I couldn’t waste time flirting with boys. I had to work for me and my dad.”

“I got an idea,” Mikaela then said. “You could sell your virginity to some rich playboy billionaire.”

Both Karen’s and my faces twisted with confusion and wonder.

“You can do that?” Karen asked. “Holy shit, if I knew I could do that I wouldn’t have slept with Ronnie back in senior high.”

I giggled and shook my head, “What? No, I can’t possibly do that. Besides, other than my virginity, what else would a rich billionaire want from me? They already have all the money in the world to get all the pussy they want.”

Mikaela grabbed me by the arm, “Trust me on this one! I visited an auction once and one girl even earned eight thousand dollars.”

“Eight thousand, just for her virginity?” My eyes grew wide with amazement. I needed another drink so I flagged a waitress and ordered another glass. “That’s a shit ton of money just to be the first to have sex with someone.”

I didn’t think too highly of it though. Sure, a guy who gets a girl’s virginity might have that claim but wouldn’t be worthwhile to build a relationship and keep sleeping with her? I didn’t care if I would be someone’s first as long as I would be their last.

Mikaela opened her purse and showed us a brochure.

“Here,” she pointed to the images of scantily-clad girls. “Look at this one. There’s going to be an auction soon. Only the richest men get to bid here and I bet you can sell yourself for a really high price. I mean, come on! What if you get someone who’ll pay five thousand for your virginity and another two thousand each time he wants to go out and fuck you?”

“You’re oddly so nonchalant about me selling my pussy to complete strangers,” I told her with a slightly sarcastic tone.

Karen shrugged, “I’d do it. Who knows, the winner might be handsome. That means I’d get money and a handsome boy-toy.”

We all laughed but I knew I couldn’t resort to this kind of thing. It just wasn’t in me.

“Hey, I got to hit the bathroom then I have to go,” I told them with a heavy heart. “I wish I could stay longer but I got to get up early tomorrow and continue job-hunting.”

Karen grabbed my bag, “Sure. We’ll watch your things.”

Mikaela looked at Karen and they shared a suspicious smile. I just ignored it and let them have their fun. I then headed to the bathroom and fixed myself up to leave and head back home to rest.

* * *

About fifteen minutes after leaving the club, I found myself taking a detour on my way back home. I couldn’t even remember why I took that left turn. I was just so caught up thinking about my expenses when I realized I was nowhere near where I had to be. Now I had to waste time going through this countryside dirt road in order to get back to the main highway.

“I can’t auction off my virginity,” I reminded myself as I drove in the darkness of the night. “That’s just fucking ridiculous. What kind of guy would even buy me? I… I can’t be that low right now, right? I can still get a job and pay all these stupid bills. Nothing more can happen. The worst has already passed.”

Just as I said that, my car freaking broke down.